Orifice with foraminate means



June 3, 1969 P. D. BARLOW ORIFICE WITH FORAMINATE MEANS Filedsept. 25, 1967 INVENTOR. PA UL D. BARLOW 14 AGENT United States Patent 3,447,210 ORIFICE WITH FORAMINATE MEANS Paul D. Barlow, Pensacola, Fla., assignor to Monsanto Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 25, 1967, Ser. No. 670,127 Int. Cl. D02g 3/00; D02j 13/00; D01l1 13/00 US. Cl. 28-1 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A fluid metering orifice insert having an expansion chamber partitioned by a foraminous wall providing a ditfused fluid stream.

Background of the invention In conditioning continuous synthetic filament yarns, it is common to pass freshly spun and quenched yarns through a steam zone established in a conditioner tube. One purpose for steam conditioning is to plasticize the yarn in preparation for subsequent processing steps. A conventional conditioner tube has inner and outer concentric spaced tubes defining an annular closed chamber or volume therebetwcen. A yarn being processed normally passes longitudinally through the inner tube. Steam under pressure is delivered to the annular volume between the tubes via a port in the outer tube and is metered, through one or more calibrated orifices, to the bore of the inner tube. To prevent flowing or metering of steam from the orifices directly upon the yarn passing through the inner tube, a short baflle tube depends into the top of the inner tube for a length to be in the intercepting plane of the transverse flow of steam jetted from the orifices.

In processing yarns under the aobove conditions, the relatively high velocity metered fluid stream is deflected from the baflle tube and frequently causes circulatory currents that disrupt the course of travel of the yarns through the conditioner tube. The filaments within a yarn may vibrate and flutter to an extent producing uneven yarn tensions and denier variations that present problems in subsequent processing and dyeing.

The improved jet insert is designed to meter a diffused, smooth fluid stream of reduced local velocity particularly advantageous in creating a non-turbulent air flow in steam treating of yarns in conditioning tubes.

Summary of the invention A jet insert is provided having a calibrated orifice communicating with an expansion chamber intersected by a foraminous partition wall at a point spaced from the orifice.

The jet insert, incorporated in a conventional yarn conditioning tube, provides a smooth, diffused flow of steam of reduced turbulence resulting in more uniformly controlled steam conditioning of yarns as compared with conventional practice.

Brief description 0 the drawing In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a cross-section view of the improved jet insert, and

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view showing a yarn conditioning tube equipped with the improved jet insert.

Description of a preferred embodiment FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of the novel jet insert 2. Viewing insert 2, from the left side thereof or the upstream side in relation to the flow of fluid therethrough, a calibrated orifice 4 opens into an expansion chamber "ice or bore 6 of larger size than orifice 4. A foraminate partition wall transversely intersects bore 6 at a point spaced from the orifice 4. The wall is illustrated as a plural layer of juxtaposed screens 8 of fine mesh. However, any porous material of cloth or sintered structure may be used. In the illustrated form, here 6 is stepped to provide a shoulder for locating and securing screens 8. Other conventional securing methods may be used. For purposes of mounting, insert 2 has a hex head and is exteriorly threaded. Preferably, an inlet bore 10' is provided at the upstream side of orifice 4.

FIG. 2 illustrates a yarn conditioning tube 12. Conditioning tube 12 comprises concentric inner and outer spaced tubes, '14 and 16, respectively, defining an annular volume or chamber 18 therebetween that is closed at its ends. A short baflie tube 20 extends into inner tube 14. Outer tube 16 has a port coupling 22 for attachment to a source of steam under pressure. The jet insert 2 is threaded transversely into the wall of inner tube 14 at a level to focus the metered fluid stream onto the baflle tube 20.

In operation, steam under pressure is delivered to annular chamber 18, is metered through the calibrated orifice 4 at a relatively high velocity, flows into expansion bore 6, decreases in velocity, is diffused through screens 8 and flows transversely against baffle tube 20. The smooth flow of steam effected by insert 2 precludes the formation of the disruptive currents often prevailing in conventional conditioner tubes.

A workable jet insert 2 used in production had an orifice 4 of 0.025 inch diameter and 0.046 inch length; had a stepped expansion bore 6 having a first section of 0.187 inch diameter and 0.062 inch length next to the orifice 4 and a second slightly enlarged section thereafter with a shoulder therebetween; and had four layers of screens 8 each of 50 mesh construction press fit against the shoulder in expansion bore 6. It will be understood that the second enlarged section of bore 6 is only a preferred construction and that the critical feature is the provision of the first section of the expansion bore 6 with the screens 8 placed therein spaced from orifice 4.

Yarns conditioned with steam in a standard conditioner tube incorporating an improved calibrated jet insert 2, as described above and as shown in FIG. 2, had steadier threadline movement upstream and downstream of the conditioner tube, had improved dye uniformity and improved dye lacceptance characteristics, and had fewer yarn wraps and breaks during processing than like yarns processed under identical conditions, but in a conditioner tube provided with a conventional jet insert having an orifice of the same size as the improved jet insert 2 but not including an expansion bore and foraminous means.

It will be understood that modifications and variations of the illustrated embodiment of the invention are expected to be covered within the purview of the invention and that the invention be limited only within the scope of the following claim.

I claim:

1. In a yarn conditioning tube having inner and outer tubes defining a closed chamber therebetween normally supplied with fluid under pressure, a short bafile tube depending into said inner tube, and a jet insert mounted transversely in the wall of the inner tube at the level of the bafile tube to meter and jet the fluid from the closed chamber between the inner and outer tubes against the baffle tube, the improvement 'wherein the jet insert comprises;

means defining an orifice having an upstream side, normally open to a source of fluid under pressure, and a downstream side,

means defining an expansion bore of larger size than said orifice, said expansion bore being open to the downstream side of said orifice and opening outwardly of the insert,

foraminate means mounted in said expansion bore at a spaced distance :from the downstream side of References Cited said orifice.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Palm 239--590.3

Klock 239-5903 Zmuda :et a1. 239--602 Lamb et a1. 239602 2/1967 Hills et a1. 28-61 10/1967 Cheape 34155 9/ 1962 Claussen et a1. 281 9/1967 Kinney 281 X 4/1968 Richmond et a1. 281 X FOREIGN PATENTS 7/1960 Great Britain.

10 JAMES KEE CHI, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

